The present invention relates to a conveyor system and more specifically to a residue removal system for drag-link conveyor flights.
Conveyor systems for transporting goods and materials include continuous drive belt apparatus coupled to a carrying means such as a plate or spring-like structure. The hinged plates or conveyor flights may be driven by the chain or belt apparatus past a sprocket and/or drive assembly. The plates in a conveyor system are generally aligned between parallel drive belts or may be centrally coupled to a single drive means, and pockets are created between successive plates for the retention of material being transferred. The belt and plate assembly may, for example, be operable in a vertically inclined transfer direction, such as along a ramp, or in a horizontal direction within an enclosure, such as a tube. The goods or materials transferred by the conveyor systems are retained in the space or pocket between such pairs of conveyor flights, being moved along the ramp or enclosure from an input point or port to a discharge point or exit port.
The structural variations for individual flights of a conveyor apparatus include: a plate extending between and coupled to belt links; a single chain driven plate with a flexible link between the conveyor chain and the flight; a bendable plate or shoe in the flight which is coupled to the drive means; shoes in each flight which are made of a flexible spring material; and, a structure where the shoe of each flight may twist or pivot about the driving chain. Each of these several structures are designed and operable to accommodate specific transport and transfer problems associated with particular conveyed materials. As shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,094,789 and 2,287,378, flexible or pivotable shoes are particularly applicable to transport loads which contain oversized items or materials which may lodge in the conveyor, allowing the conveyor flights to deflect and return to their original positions after deflecting and passing an obstruction.
Bulk materials, as well as particulate matter are often transferred by conveyor apparatus. Bulk materials may vary in density and compactibility, and compaction thereof may pose a significant problem to continuous or efficient transfer operations. Therefore, apparatus and arrangements are desired to positively effect complete discharge of material which may become compacted against the conveyor flight surface within each successive conveyor pocket.